Miss Zhuoming Liu
Bachelor of Business Administration (International Program)
On February 20, 2023 I arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia with my classmates as part of the exchange program at walailak University. I am very sure that the exchange program had a positive impact on me and gave me countless valuable experiences and feelings in a city full of history and culture. Below are some of the profound feelings I had during my exchange program in St. Petersburg.
First of all, the snow, the fog and the cold were my first impressions of the city. The architecture and scenery of St. Petersburg are breathtaking. Each building was full of historical atmosphere and made me feel as if I had traveled back in time. Landmarks such as the Hermitage, Peter and Paul Fortress and St. Isaac's Cathedral, all of which show the city's majesty and magnificence, gave me a new appreciation for civilizations on the other side of the globe. In March, my classmates and I had the opportunity to travel to Murmansk, a city on the Arctic Circle that is much colder than St. Petersburg, where we were guided by an aurora hunter and drove into the mountains to see the Big Dipper and the aurora australis, the green color of which I had never seen before, blanketing the sky. April comes when summer arrives in St. Petersburg bridges open in the middle this is the opening of the bridge at 12 midnight get together with three or five friends to witness the bridge open in the middle, it is a spectacular sight I have never seen before! Walking along the canals and enjoying the picturesque view became one of my daily pleasures.
At the same time, I also felt the warmth and friendliness of the Russian people. Before coming here I was shocked by the stereotypes of Russians on the internet, but when you actually come to Russia you are even more attracted by the good side of Russians. Even though they don't speak the same language, they are always willing to communicate with me with smiles and body language. Dr. Daivd, who is in charge of the exchange program, was afraid that we would not know Russian and would have difficulty living in St. Petersburg, so he found a Russian teacher for us. She is an old lady who dresses up and is very sophisticated in her morning classes, and I gradually learned some basic language with her help, which helped me to interact with the locals a lot smoother.
In terms of learning, my school provided me with a rich and varied educational experience. We used English in our classes, but the Russian teaching style is different from both Thai and Chinese, they don't often use PowerPoint and prefer one-on-one question and answer sessions, which requires you to be able to verbalize and have a detailed understanding of what you're learning.
In addition, the cultural activities in St. Petersburg were unforgettable. I had the opportunity to admire world-class art and visit many museums and galleries. Each painting and artifact contained deep Russian history and emotions, which made me appreciate human creativity and wisdom even more. In addition, I had the honor to watch the world-famous Swan Lake stage play, where beautiful symphonic music and professional ballet dancers' dancing were fused together to create the world-famous Russian stage play, from which I felt the unique cultural and artistic charm of Russia.
